Innholdsfortegnelse for 13-Feb-2021 i Amateur Gardening

AFTER what seems like a long, grey winter, the garden is coming back to life. As the sap rises and plants throw out new growth, we need to start feeding them again so give them a strong start. Many won’t have been fed since summer, as late feeding only promotes late growth that can be damaged or killed by frost, and there is no benefit to feeding dormant plants that won’t use the extra nutrients. Feeding plants correctly is a cornerstone of good gardening, because a properly fed plant is more likely to be strong and healthy and able to withstand attacks from pests and disease. For generations, gardeners relied on well-rotted compost or farmyard manure to give their plants a boost, supplemented by traditional favourites such as Growmore, blood,…

VEGANISM is becoming part and parcel of many aspects of everyday life and now it has gained a firm foothold in gardening. Of course many people have been vegan gardening for decades, possibly without realising. Organic gardening using non-chemical, nonanimal alternatives to pest and weed control, and deterrents instead of pesticides, is nothing new. Neither is making plant feeds out of natural resources such as comfrey and nettles. Where vegan gardeners take it a step further is not using animal products in fertiliser, so products such as blood, fish and bone and bone meal are out. There are several vegan plant foods available including Natural Growers and Maxicrop, and the latest arrival is EcoGro, which is the by-product of an organic farm in Cumbria. Ecogro started as a liquid general…

FAMILIAR to millions as a base for this year’s Winterwatch on BBC, the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Wales has launched a series of bookable learning days, starting from May. You can join tutors to explore a range of topics including gardening for nature, becoming a nature detective, ‘spot those moth’ nights and more. A new ‘Gardening for Nature’ day takes visitors on a journey to explore ways of helping nature in even the smallest of outdoor spaces. Top tips from CAT’s expert gardeners will help you learn new tips and techniques while you enjoy a day in the centre’s beautiful gardens. There are also ‘Nature Detectives’ family days and moth-trapping nights planned throughout the year. A memorable day out John Challen, the centre’s eco head, said: “We hope…

IT’S time to prune your fuchsias, whether they are overwintering undercover or brazening out the winter in your borders. Having said that, if you live in the north, or Scotland, or have a very cold, exposed garden, it would be safe to wait for a few more weeks before taking secateurs to your plants. Fuchsias flower on new growth so each spring, before they stir from their winter dormancy, you need to remove the old wood to make room for the new. I am starting with my tender fuchsias that were lifted and brought undercover last autumn. Using a pair of sharp, clean secateurs I cut them back to the lowest healthy pair of new emerging buds. Hardy fuchsias living outside should be left alone until the weather warms up…

1 Some bush roses ‘sport’ a strong shoot. Rosa ‘Ena Harkness’ has a weak flower neck, but as a climber this matters less because you look up at the pendula, rich-red blooms. 2 A shrub shoot can mutate and produce a variegated leaf – for example, holly Ilex ‘JC van Tol’ and I. ‘Golden van Tol’, another way to introduce a new garden plant. 3 Conifers, too, with Chamaecyparis ‘Ellwoodii’ having a number of different coloured foliage cultivars. Keep an eye out and you may well spot a ‘sporting’ shoot and by rooting it, secure a new plant from your garden. 4 We even have ‘sporting’ fruits, as in Malus ‘Red Devil’ – a red-skinned mutation from Apple ‘Falstaff’…

ONE of the tasks facing us all is weeding. We know weeds just have to go for all sorts of reasons. The problem is, which of all those seedlings are our desired ones, and which are weeds? This is one of the many reasons for sowing in pots of proper, bought-in sowing compost, as then there should be no weeds, and no doubt. Once we sow in the open ground, though, then all sorts of weeds appear, as most of us are only too well aware. As soon as the soil warms up, it turns green with fuzz and is soon covered with the fastest growers, such as chickweed and hairy bitter cress. But have you noticed how flushes of different weeds may appear in different months? Yep, they have…

WHILE it’s still too cold to sow outdoors, veg seed can be started off under cover this month. Some are easy and forgiving (think peas, beans, radishes and tomatoes), while some can be temperamental (carrots, parsley, corn salad). Expensive seeds (cucumbers, sweetcorn and melons) are best sown indoors because germination is far more successful in a protected environment. Basil, dill, brassicas, tomatoes, leeks – all these and more besides enjoy starting life under cover. Starting with fresh stock can be crucial (check the ‘sow by’ date on each packet). Many veg seeds are only viable (alive) for a couple of years at most (for example, leek, onion, parsnip, carrot, salsify and scorzonera) so buy fresh seed each year. Others, such as cauliflower, chard, lettuce and tomato, can remain viable for…

Q Please can you identify this plum from our garden? Janet Savage, via email A I suspect that it is ‘Pershore Yellow Egg’ or the closely related ‘Warwickshire Drooper’. Both are prolific croppers and can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Q How can I stop animals digging up and eating my crocus bulbs? Sam Taylor, Lytham St Annes, Lancs. A I suspect that squirrels or foxes are digging up and eating the corms. The best way to counter this problem is to plant them in wiremesh containers where they should be safe from any animal that tries to unearth them. Q VHow can I save my Euonymus that is covered in scale insects?? Mrs Barnes, Dover, Kent A The white scales are the males, the brownish pear shapes are the…

THIS day holds the distinction of being the ‘first’ of the coldest UK days ever, when a temperature of -27.2°C (-17°F) was recorded at Braemar in Grampian. Exactly the same temperature was again recorded, in the same place, on 10 January, 1982, and also in 1995 at Altnaharra, Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands. However, there are several coldest overall winters: ■ December 2010 holds the record for the coldest average December since Met Office records began in 1910, at -0.7°C (30.7°F). ■ According to the Central England Temperature (a record of monthly mean temperatures dating back to 1659), December 1890 was marginally colder, with an average temperature of -0.8°C (30.5°F). ■ The coldest ever ‘whole’ winter (December, January and February) was 1962-63, when much of the country was covered by…

Q I have been collecting peperomias, as I find them interesting foliage plants. Sadly, a few have rotted away over the winter and some are making sticky patches on the windowsill tiles under the plants. Where am I going wrong? Kelly Barnes, Manchester A Peperomias are fascinating plants, neat enough to fit most windowsills. Although primarily grown for decorative leaves, their wand-like stalks of tiny, creamy white flowers add interest. Of the thousand or so species, those grown as houseplants originate mostly from South America and the West Indies. Collecting them is fun, because although the crinkle-leaved P. caperata and the watermelon peperomia (P. argyreia) are widely available, keeping a look out for the more unusual kinds is exciting. In the wild, peperomias grow in many environments, from almost desert…

WHILE clearing the veg plot, I was ‘quid’s in’ after repeatedly finding pound coins strewn across the soil. It turned out the same doubloons were falling from a hole in my coat pocket, and after a heads ’n’ tails count of the shrapnel, I found I was worse off than when I started. We all make mistakes, some more comical than others. Take the dog walker who found a human foot half-buried in a muddy field in Gateshead. After a large-scale police search and the deployment of a specialist dog unit, the pinkie turned out to be potato. Or, as noted in the crime-scene report, a ‘pota-toe’ (boom boom!). Amateur historians have now claimed the find as the long-lost remains of King Edward (ba-dum!). While in Hollywood, rumour has it,…

■ Making your own plant food is easy and can also help control certain invasive plants. ■ ‘Teas’ made from comfrey and nettles (often considered to be ‘weeds’) are packed with essential nutrients. Just make sure you don’t rip up all the plants in your teamaking enthusiasm. ■ Comfrey flowers are magnets for bees, and nettles are the food plants for the caterpillars of many butterflies including red admirals. ■ All you need for both brews are the plants, a lidded container, water, long-sleeved shirt and sturdy gloves (nettles sting, and comfrey leaves are covered in stiff hairs that can cause skin irritation). ■ To make comfrey tea, remove the flowers and stems and break up the leaves before stuffing them into a water-tight container that has a lid (this…

Got a story? email ruth.hayes@futurenet.com YOU can start brightening up your life during lockdown with a new, free guide to creating floral displays. The guide to creating a skillfully crafted riot of colour and style in public places is being offered to councils, Britain in Bloom groups, horticulturalists and amateur gardeners in the UK. It follows the cancellation of Britain in Bloom in 2020 and is being offered by horticultural manufacturer Amberol. The guide contains photos and details of different planting schemes from Britain in Bloom groups across the UK, as well as examples of displays from Belgium, all using floral containers. Create a ‘floral bicycle’ “Despite national lockdowns and restrictions in different tiers, many Britain In Bloom groups have continued working in their environment within health and safety guidelines,”…

BY the end of winter, ornamental grasses are looking rather woe-begone and bedraggled. Many are left alone after summer, as their elegant fronds and seedheads give interest and look wonderful when encrusted with frosts. However, by now deciduous varieties need cutting back. Cut down the stems with secateurs, taking care not to damage any new growth. Then cut the rest back to a few centimeters from the ground, leaving just a hairy tuft. Weed around the clump, and mulch well to feed the plant as it comes back into growth. Some deciduous species, including Deschampsia and Calamagrostis, should be trimmed before new growth emerges, whereas later-shooting Pennisetum can be cut back in late April. Late pruning is also beneficial for Miscanthus, whereas the deciduous Stipa tenuissima can be treated as…

FIRST found in the UK is 2007, fuchsia gall mite has rapidly become the bane of many growers’ lives. This microscopic creature sucks the sap on plants and in doing so causes them to develop swollen and distorted shoot tips, with yellow or red discolouration. Flowers are also compromised. The more mites are present, the more distorted the plants become until ‘normal’ leaves aren’t produced at all. Although the mites don’t kill the plants they will eventually weaken them. To treat the problem you can cut off affected material and burn or bin it, though regrowth is likely to become infested also. The mites are resistant to pesticides. Some varieties including ‘Baby Chang’, ‘Cinnabarina’, ‘Miniature Jewels’, Fuchsia microphylla subsp. hidalgensis, Fuchsia thymifolia and Fuchsia venusta are thought to have some…

THIS week’s seeds are for an easy-to-grow beauty that will cause the uninitiated to stop in their tracks and exclaim ’What is that? (And can I have some please?)’ Schizanthus ‘Angel Wings Mixed’, which are also known as ‘poor man’s orchid’ or butterfly flower, are half-hardy annuals packing a powerful punch that belies their easy-going nature. The ornate, multi-coloured blooms sit atop delicate pale green foliage and they grow just as well in containers as they do in a sunny border. Because the plant is half-hardy, the seeds should be sown undercover between now and the end of April for this summer’s flowers. Alternatively, sow them in August and September and grow on undercover through winter. Once the seeds have germinated and are large enough, pot them up individually. Pinch…

1 After you’ve pruned them, scrape and pull loose bark off old grape vines to expose and remove many hidden pests. 2 After hard frost in stone-free ground, hoe as the top-most layer melts; weeds are held fast and slice off easy. 3 Put up more bird boxes ASAP because small insectivorous friends like tits and wrens build nests early in the year. 4 On bright, sunny days, use a long cane so you can knock tiny mummified fruits off trees, to reduce rots this year.…

John will reply personally to all your gardening questions every week Good plants for low-maintenance interest Q I have a narrow grass bank above the retaining wall of my patio. How can I make it more interesting without having to do too much work as it’s quite hard to access? Mildred Hughes, via email A There are plants which you can just leave to their own devices, but most do better for some care so that perhaps needs to be factored in, especially for the first year or two after planting. I chose a mixture of shrubs, all of which could be bought bare-rooted making it much cheaper to plant the whole thing in one go. We had purple-leaved berberis (Berberis thunbergii atropurpurea), shrubby honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida, both the straight…

Q I have a problem with my winter clematis in that they don’t flower. I bought them two-three years ago and planted them on a south-facing wall in heavy soil that I have lightened. What should I do? Tricia Phillips, via email A I am sorry to year your winter-flowering clematis have yet to perform. Encourage them to do so by feeding them with 1oz (28g) per sq m of sulphate of potash. Apply it monthly from April to September and water it in if the soil is dry. Potash (potassium) helps shoots ripen and flower. Apply the fertiliser annually and, for the moment refrain from pruning your plants because cutting them back before they flower will delay blooming. When the blooms form in a year or so, prune the…

This week it’s: PERSONALLY speaking, I love and loathe berberis and mahonia in equal measure. Both are good garden shrubs. Both are related to each other and, over the years, they have caused me joy and consternation! Berberis are dense shrubs, with thickly impenetrable branches, and attractive greens or deep red leaves. They frequently turn to fiery shades in autumn. But their thorns and prickles are lethal. Mahonias are valuable winter-flowering shrubs of bright yellow, that illuminate a shady border like a spotlight. But their large, stiff, pointed, holly-like leaves can cause great pain when you inadvertently come up against them. However, these two shrubs do have some fascinating stories surrounding them. Let’s take a look… Darwin’s barberry A COMMONLY grown garden berberis is B. darwinii, or Darwin’s barberry. It…

Step by step 1 Watch out for stickiness on and around plants, and inspect them closely to spot pests before they multiply. Mature scales can be hiding up to 200 eggs underneath. 2 A few plants can be damaged by insecticidal sprays, so take a cutting first to be on the safe side. 3 This peperomia is a branching sort, so I am pruning it by a good two-thirds to get rid of scale insects and leave less growth to spray. 4 Take the plant outside or to the greenhouse and spray using a plant oil or plant invigorator product, aiming it at all the scales.…

1 Granular: Products such as Vitax Q4, Growmore and Miracle Gro All Purpose, and blood, fish and bone are excellent all-rounders. They break down over time and feed plants for longer than liquid fertilisers. A good way to start the year’s feeding. 2 Timed-release: These come as plugs of fertiliser that are inserted in soil or compost to release nutrients over several months, giving more when the conditions are right for growth and less when it is colder. Try Osmocote or Westland Gro-Sure Tablets. 3 Liquid: A quick and easy way of getting nutrients into plants, especially hungry crops such as tomatoes. Tomorite and Big Tom are potassium-rich for good cropping, Maxicrop Seaweed Extract boots roots, growth and overall health. 4 Ericaceous: Acid-loving plants such as blueberries, azaleas and rhododendrons…

DIBLEY’S Nursery in North Wales is holding a virtual flower show this spring, hoping to repeat the success of a similar event in 2020. The show, which will stream online, will include interactive events plus gardeners’ Q&As and a stunning floral hall with more than 20 exhibitors including John Cullen Gardens, Primrose Hall Peonies, Hampshire carnivorous plants, Hoyland Plant Centre, Todd’s Botanics, Calamazag Plant Nursery, Primrose Bank, D’Arcy & Everest, Plant Heritage and Potash Nursery Ltd. Paul Dibley said: “Last year’s show had well over 40k visitors at the time, and many more since. Click on images that interest you “This year will be bigger and will include an interactive Virtual Floral Hall. Visitors will be able to move around the hall on their computer or other devices and click…

■ The weather is warming up and things will be stirring in your greenhouse, coldframe and mini greenhouse. ■ As plants emerge from their winter sleep and start to throw out fresh growth, so pests begin to get active again too. ■ Snails, whitefly and sap-sucking aphids love the shelter of a greenhouse and will greedily attack tender your plant material. Remove them by hand before colonies become infestations. ■ Check plants are healthy and not suffering from moulds or rots. Cut back any contaminated growth to clean material and dispose of plants that are too far gone. ■ Make sure stored tubers and corms for dahlias, begonias and gladioli are still firm and healthy and dispose of any that have gone soft. ■ Keep your greenhouse, coldframe or mini…

THE latest Woolman’s catalogue carries over 20 colourful pages of chrysanthemum cultivars, and I very much hope this indicates gardeners are renewing interest in this so-useful autumn garden and cut flower. I grow a three or four-row bed across the vegetable plot each year, and the cut flowers in both spray and large single bloom forms are always popular gifts. When you run an eye down the names of chrysanthemums in catalogues, you will often see the first name repeated, as in Chrysanthemum ‘Egret’ an early, in-curving, white cultivar, then C. ‘Egret Primrose’ and C. ‘Egret Yellow’ – the ‘Primrose’ and ‘Yellow’ are exactly the same in every respect as the original, except for the colour. The same goes for Chrysanthemum ‘Allouise’, which you can find in ‘Orange’, ‘Pink’, ‘Primrose’,…

ONE day during that very cold spell just after Christmas, I was staring into the garden, admiring its frosted beauty, when my eye was caught by a thrush that appeared to be doing some rather excessive head-banging. Closer inspection revealed that it was tenderising the flesh of a slug or snail that had probably been caught out and frozen the previous night. Later that day, I found the shattered remains of a large snail shell close by – obviously the takeaway packaging for the thrush’s breakfast. It was a song thrush, one of our most beautiful garden visitors. It is smaller than the rarer mistle thrush and has a soft brown back and a front speckled with droplet-shaped black and dark brown marks. They are resident all year round and…

ALTHOUGH I don’t have any hedges at Spring Cottage, because my garden is surrounded by low stone walls, I know how valuable they’ve been in my previous gardens. The long beech hedge I once had was a refuge for birds in winter, and goldfinches always nested there in late spring and summer. Insecteating birds fed there in the warmer months as well. The best year for birds coincided with an invasion of woolly beech blight aphid, Grylloprociphilus imbricator. This tiny insect produces waxy, white fluff in warmer months, so it was noticeable, and it caused panic among villagers because many had never seen it before. Most opted to spray with an insecticide and killed all the insects at once and many, like the ladybirds, would have helped them out. I…

Q I have a Sarcococca confusa plant which is about three years old. It is healthy and has grown larger than I expected. When and how should I prune it? Christopher Baines, Swaffham, Norfolk A What a splendid specimen it must be! This plant normally grows to about 2ft (60cm) high and spreads to 3ft (1m) across. The fact that it is now exceeded this indicates that the site you’ve chosen has a beneficial micro-climate. The best time to prune it is in spring in April or May, when nights are warming and growth is vigorous. Then, if necessary, shorten extra-tall shoots to about 2ft (60cm). After pruning, encourage robust growth by feeding with fish, blood and bone meal. Sprinkle it over the root system and water it in. Apply…

Q My daughter was given this plant as a thank you gift from our local Round Table group from organising a charity event. However, we’re completely at a loss to know what it is or how to care for it. Any ideas? Emma Taylor, via email A The plant in question is a dendrobium, also called bamboo orchid. An easy species to grow, it’s an epiphyte – it grows on trees – from S. E. Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Ideally, position it in good light, but shade it from hot summer sunshine. Happiest in a temperature of 60-70ºF (18-24ºC), it should be watered frequently in summer but more sparingly in winter. Also, in winter, water only enough to stop stems from shrivelling. Feed it monthly, from March to October,…

GRAFTING is a method of vegetative propagation that normally involves joining together two separate plants in such a way that they eventually function as one. It is a means of replicating selected plants that do not come true from seed or are difficult to propagate by other vegetative methods. Also, as in the case described here, it can be used to produce ‘family’ fruit trees, with different cultivars grafted onto a single plant. This method is called rind grafting. It takes its name from the process of inserting scions (new pieces of stem) under the bark, which is known as the ‘rind’ by horticulturists. Victorian gardeners would completely change the cropping variety of an apple tree by removing all the top growth and grafting a new variety onto each branch…

Write to us: Letters, Amateur Gardening magazine, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hants GU14 7BF (please include your address). Email us: amateurgardening@futurenet.com Hopefully, I’ve not broken any copyright rules/regulations but as you can see from the attached photo, I’ve framed that beautiful picture on page 37 of the Christmas issue of AG. I appreciate I’m not likely to see these birds in my garden; the most exotic I’ve currently got is a single reed bunting. But I can always dream! Perhaps I should plant a white berried rowan? Margaret Oakley, via email Wendy says: No copyright infringement here: the framed picture looks amazing, Margaret. You may be lucky to spot a waxwing this winter. They are most often seen in eastern and northern Britain. In years when…